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Hiking Trail Assault Victim Testimony: ‘We’re Going To Die’

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4)- The man accused of attacking two women on a remote mountain trail is on trial. James Bondsteel is being tried on multiple charges adding up to 23 counts related to sexual assault.

Investigators believe Bondsteel attacked the hikers on the Signal Trail near Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2009. They also said he robbed other women at gunpoint and demanded they expose themselves.

James Bondsteel (credit: Larimer County Sheriff)

Prosecutors said Bondsteel is the man who grabbed one of the women at knife point and looked under her shirt and in her shorts.

One of the women took the stand in court at the Larimer County Justice Center to give her testimony on Tuesday.

“I felt I couldn’t fight back. He had the knife at my throat. I thought, ‘Oh, my God. He’s going to rape me. We’re going to die’,” said one victim.

“‘Why are you doing this? You’re hurting me.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Because it’s fun.’ And I said, ‘This is not fun. You’re hurting me and you’re scaring me’,” said the victim.

The two women said they decided to fight back. They hit the man with a walking stick and a rock and he ran away.

Bondsteel is also on trial for three other incidents involving four women. In those cases, the women were inside their cars when they were approached by a man on a motorcycle.

In each case, the man pointed a gun at the women, told them to hand him their purse and phone. Then he told each of the victims to pull up their shirt to expose their breasts.

Bondsteel’s public defender told the jury that police arrested the wrong man. On the Signal Trail, Bondsteel was hunting in the area, but didn’t have anything to do with the attack on the hikers. He didn’t have any injuries from being hit with the stick and rock, and his DNA wasn’t found where investigators would expect.